Texas 2015 - 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB2741 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	84R11223 KFF-F
2	2	By: Capriglione H.B. No. 2741
3	3
4	4
5	5	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
6	6	AN ACT
7	7	relating to a competitive grant program to fund promotion of early
8	8	literacy programs in certain communities in this state.
9	9	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
10	10	SECTION 1. Chapter 73, Education Code, is amended by adding
11	11	Subchapter I to read as follows:
12	12	SUBCHAPTER I. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY
13	13	Sec. 73.601. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
14	14	(1) "Competitive grant program" means the competitive
15	15	grant program to promote early literacy established under this
16	16	subchapter.
17	17	(2) "Health care practitioner" has the meaning
18	18	assigned by Section 112.001, Occupations Code.
19	19	(3) "Health science center" means The University of
20	20	Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
21	21	(4) "Literacy program" means a program to promote
22	22	early literacy.
23	23	Sec. 73.602. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM TO
24	24	PROMOTE EARLY LITERACY. (a) The University of Texas Health Science
25	25	Center at Houston shall establish a competitive grant program to
26	26	promote early literacy through which the health science center will
27	27	award grants for the implementation of literacy programs, or the
28	28	expansion of existing programs, and for the operation of those
29	29	programs for a period of not less than two years.
30	30	(b) The health science center shall award grants under the
31	31	program to applicants, including applicants operating existing
32	32	programs, in a manner that ensures that the literacy programs
33	33	collectively operate in multiple communities that are
34	34	geographically distributed throughout this state.
35	35	Sec. 73.603. LITERACY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS. A literacy
36	36	program funded through a grant awarded under this subchapter must:
37	37	(1) consult and use as a guide the program model
38	38	developed by the Reach Out and Read National Center, including any
39	39	clinical, programmatic, and data collection requirements of that
40	40	model;
41	41	(2) require that health care practitioners volunteer
42	42	to:
43	43	(A) in conjunction with performing well-child
44	44	examinations, provide books to children and encourage parents to
45	45	read to their children to develop preliteracy skills;
46	46	(B) maintain waiting rooms that encourage
47	47	children to read; and
48	48	(C) provide services designed to increase the
49	49	school readiness of children receiving program services; and
50	50	(3) partner with local adult literacy providers to
51	51	encourage parent literacy in appropriate circumstances.
52	52	Sec. 73.604. APPLICATION. (a) A public or private entity,
53	53	including a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of
54	54	this state, may apply for a grant under this subchapter.
55	55	(b) To apply for a grant, an applicant must submit a written
56	56	application to the health science center on a form prescribed by the
57	57	health science center in consultation with the Reach Out and Read
58	58	National Center.
59	59	Sec. 73.605. LITERACY PROGRAM GUIDELINES. The health
60	60	science center, with the assistance of the Reach Out and Read
61	61	National Center, shall publish guidelines for the literacy programs
62	62	funded under this subchapter. The guidelines may follow the Reach
63	63	Out and Read national program model standards and guidelines that
64	64	have been tested and replicated in multiple communities.
65	65	Sec. 73.606. USE OF PROGRAM FUNDS. (a) In addition to
66	66	awarding grants under this subchapter, the health science center
67	67	may use program funds to:
68	68	(1) administer the competitive grant program; and
69	69	(2) purchase or contract to purchase discounted books
70	70	for use by grant recipients.
71	71	(b) A grant recipient may use grant funds awarded under this
72	72	subchapter only to cover costs related to implementing or expanding
73	73	and operating a literacy program, including costs related to:
74	74	(1) administering the literacy program;
75	75	(2) training and managing health care practitioners
76	76	who volunteer to participate in the literacy program; and
77	77	(3) purchasing or contracting to purchase discounted
78	78	books for use in the literacy program.
79	79	Sec. 73.607. PROGRAM EVALUATION; BIENNIAL COMMITTEE
80	80	REPORTS. (a) The health science center, with the assistance of
81	81	the Reach Out and Read National Center, shall prepare and submit a
82	82	biennial report, not later than December 1 of each even-numbered
83	83	year, to the senate committee on education, or its successor, and
84	84	the house public education committee, or its successor, regarding
85	85	the grants awarded during the preceding two state fiscal years.
86	86	(b) The report required under Subsection (a) must include:
87	87	(1) the number of health care practitioners who
88	88	participate in the program;
89	89	(2) the number of children receiving literacy program
90	90	services as a result of the program; and
91	91	(3) the amount of each grant awarded to a health care
92	92	practitioner under the program.
93	93	(c) On request, each grant recipient shall timely collect
94	94	and provide data and any other information required by the health
95	95	science center to monitor and evaluate the program, including
96	96	recipient participation in the program, and to prepare the report
97	97	required by this section.
98	98	Sec. 73.608. COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM FUNDING. (a) The
99	99	health science center shall actively seek and apply for any
100	100	available federal funds to assist in financing the competitive
101	101	grant program established under this subchapter.
102	102	(b) The health science center may use appropriated funds
103	103	from the state government and may accept gifts, donations, grants
104	104	of money, and in-kind contributions from the federal government,
105	105	local governments, private corporations, or other persons to assist
106	106	in financing the competitive grant program.
107	107	SECTION 2. The University of Texas Health Science Center at
108	108	Houston shall:
109	109	(1) as soon as practicable, apply for any available
110	110	federal funds to assist in financing the competitive grant program
111	111	under Subchapter I, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this
112	112	Act, as required by Section 73.608, Education Code, as added by this
113	113	Act; and
114	114	(2) not later than December 1, 2018, submit a report to
115	115	the senate committee on education, or its successor, and the house
116	116	public education committee, or its successor, regarding the
117	117	implementation and status of the competitive grant program required
118	118	by Subchapter I, Chapter 73, Education Code, as added by this Act.
119	119	SECTION 3. This Act does not make an appropriation. A
120	120	provision in this Act that creates a new governmental program,
121	121	creates a new entitlement, or imposes a new duty on a governmental
122	122	entity is not mandatory during a fiscal period for which the
123	123	legislature has not made a specific appropriation to implement the
124	124	provision.
125	125	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.